Jim Abrahamson named Chair of the board of directors at American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) officially inducted Jim Abrahamson, CEO, Interstate Hotels and Resorts, as chair of the board of directors at the association’s inaugural gala held at the Waldorf Astoria here on Sunday, November 9. Active with AH&LA at the state and national levels since the 1980s and a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), Abrahamson will serve as association chair in 2015. Abrahamson has more 30 years of experience in the hotel industry, beginning with the General Hotels Corporation and Embassy Suites, Inc. He went on to hold senior management positions with Hilton Hotels Corporation, The Marcus Corporation, Hyatt Corporation and IHG. “Jim’s career is invaluable,” said Katherine Lugar, AH&LA president/CEO. “We are so excited to have you at the helm.” In his current role, he is responsible for Interstate’s overall performance and global growth of its management portfolio, and he serves as an executive director on the company's board of directors. Abrahamson also served as chair of the AH&LA CEO Council and is a member of the Governmental Affairs and HotelPAC Committee. Additionally, he is first vice chair of the U.S. Travel Association.